Olympics road chaos fears as major stretch of M4 closes over crack

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The motorway, part of the Olympic Route Network, will be vital for transporting visitors into the city for the Games later this month and it would be a major embarrassment for organisers if the restrictions could not be lifted in time.

The route between junctions one and three, an elevated section known as the Boston Manor viaduct, is expected to remain closed for at least five days but possibly longer if more cracks are discovered.

The closure of the section between Chiswick and Feltham was ordered by the Highways Agency on Friday but the organisation said it expected all work to be finished before the start of the Olympic Games later this month.

Failure to do so will disrupt the travel plans of tens of thousands of spectators expected to fly into London during the Games.

Vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tons were already banned from using the viaduct after hairline cracks were discovered in some of the beam supporting the structure in March. The route is one of the busiest in London and its closure could cause traffic chaos in the surrounding area.

The agency said on Friday workers “found a further crack in a sensitive location which requires us to keep the viaduct closed until the repair is complete”.

A spokesperson added: “We anticipate that this could take up to five days. We expect the ongoing remedial work programme will be completed to enable the viaduct to operate at its full capacity in time for the London 2012 Olympic Games later this month.”

Transport spokesman for the London Assembly Conservatives, Richard Tracey, said the disruption could signal a repeat of problems seen at the end of last year on the Hammersmith Flyover.

He said: “If they don’t fix it before the end of July, then of course it would cause a degree of chaos. As Locog (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paraolympic Games) and Transport for London have been telling us, people will be arriving at Heathrow for the Games before then.”

Just before Christmas last year, the Hammersmith Flyover in west London was closed due to major structural problems

The cracked and decaying facade on the M4 flyover structure was flagged up by workers as unsafe and in dire need of repair. It only fully reopened to all traffic in May following five months of repairs.

The thoroughfare, on the A4 at Hammersmith, was closed on December 23 due to water damage that corroded and weakened cables that give the bridge its strength. It partially reopened a few weeks later but lorries had not been able to use it.

TfL said engineers will be carrying out more work on the bridge after the 2012 Games.